Advice for a new vegan?

derekbarrett

I have been veggie for about 2 1/2 years, so not full vegan, so I can respect your decision and understand how tough it can be, not only physically but mentally as well.

First off, not sure if you are an athlete or not, but regardless, there are plenty of great male role models out there who are at least vegetarian:

1) Hershel Walker
2) The entire Gracie family (inventors of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and founders of the UFC).
3) Mike Mahler (the premier kettlebell instructor in the US) is full on vegan, and is built like a truck.
4) Roman gladiators were often cited as being vegetarian, as they ate so much barley, and were known as the "barley men."
5) There are mixed accounts as to whether the Roman legions were vegetarians or not.

Scooby is a vegetarian bodybuilder and Triathlete, and the guy's physique speaks for itself:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/vegetarianism/

As far as other people go, I have been really lucky. Most everyone around me has been overwhelmingly supportive. When asked about it, I just tell them it was a half ethical and half health decision, and usually leave it at that. They are more curious than critical, so if they want to ask more questions I will answer them.

Whoever said it was a good way to weed people out, gave good advice. You don't want people around you belittling your choices about anything, so you don't need to apologize for your choice or feel less about yourself when you get haters. I think I had one person who gave me a hard time about it. But that person gives everyone a hard time about everything.

Finally, I take a live and let live attitude. I don't judge meat eaters, it's a decision I made for myself, so I don't blast my opinions onto them, and I let them eat whatever they want or don't pay attention to what they are doing or hold myself in a superior place to them. Most of them go out of their way to accommodate me, but I tell them since I am the odd one out, it's always my job to accommodate them, not the other way around.

Tips:

1) Get a crock pot. You can cook up all kinds of beans and lentils in it and veggies. Just cut stuff up and dump it in and let it cook.
2) Get a rice cooker, you can also steam up some quinoa and veggies in it as well.
3) Subway has a veggie patty. It's usually not on the menu, so just ask for it. It will fill you up more than the veggie delight, and has protein sources in it.
4) Find an Indian restaurant. Almost always great veggie dishes there.
5) Not sure where you live but most Mexican chains have a veggie burrito or veggie bowl type option. Like Chipotle has Sofritas (tofu) and Rubio's has a veggie burrito or a couple of salad bowls.
6) Corner Bakery and Panera Bread also have some great veggie options

Here's a nice recipe to get started that's easy:

http://jugalbandi.info/2007/02/13-bean-11-veggie-soup/

This is also a great cookbook for vegans, very tasty stuff in here, and meals are designed to be easy.

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Fix-Vegan-Healthy-Homestyle-Minutes/dp/1449407854/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1384930276&sr=8-3&keywords=vegan+cookbook

twixlepennie

Good for you! I'm a 7 year vegan, was lacto ovo vegetarian for 6 years prior to that. You won't regret it, trust me Please don't listen to nutritionally low IQ people on this forum who say it's not a healthy way to live. There is such an overwhelming amount of research that has been done w/in even the last 5-10 years that truly makes plant-based nutrition the optimal human diet, not to mention for such a wide array of other reasons: Efficiency, Economics, Compassion, Planet. NOT being vegan is actually extremely strange once someone knows about all of these aspects.

Thing is, all the credible research out there does NOT show that a fully vegan diet is the best way to eat for optimal health. A while back I became very interested in a whole foods, plant based diet for the health benefits. However, after spending hundreds of hours researching this way of eating and how it relates to health-I came to the conclusion that it's just not necessary to go that strict and cut out entire food groups. Even vegan advocates like Dr. Fuhrman and Gina Messina (author of Vegan For Her) acknowledge that the most recent studies do not show that totally eliminating meat and dairy do anything more beneficial than focusing on a diet that's mostly a whole foods, plant based diet but still includes meat and dairy in small amounts. Dr. Furhmnan himself recommends a 90/10 format.

OP-here's a great article by Alex Jamieson-
http://alexandrajamieson.com/im-not-vegan-anymore/

And here's a blog post from a former vegan, who had to stop due to the health issues she was having from her diet. I found this article during my research and that led me to finding many more blog posts, articles etc from former vegans who had to stop, due to the health problems they began having.
http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1728051

DatMurse

I recommend you read the CHINA STUDY to give you lots of fuel to all those vegan haters out there and totally make you believe 100% in your lifestyle. You will never look back!

the China study actually DATA goes against he is saying. Cancer and non communicable diseases are overall higher in the plant eaters.
it should be marked as "Dr. Campbell's opinion"

LuLuChick78

My advice to you is not to appeal to the general forum for advice about veganism

+1

Collier78

To each their own...but animals are tasty...

I just can't personally not consume animal products..I'm a huge fan of cheese, eggs, and meat, and I seem to being doing just fine on my diet....

neanderthin

My advice to you is not to appeal to the general forum for advice about veganism

+1

Sounds logical.

MaryJane_8810002

I follow a majorly vegan diet and when I do not want to eat meat this website is my bible:

http://www.foodfacts.com/index.php

It tells you what is in the food you eat and even lets you know what is hidden in certain ingredients (did you know that sazon was made with fish derivatives?!)

FlaxMilk

So lets say there is no nutritional yeast or anything fortified. You would have no choice but to consume animal products.

Complete protein? lol? you think that the protein in the grass is the same as the protein from the cow? You obviously dont know that those animals synthesize those proteins

If there was nothing fortified, we'd likely not have the other advances we have, so we'd be getting our B-12 the same way the animals do-from the ground. B-12 doesn't naturally occur in animals, it comes from bacteria.

I think she meant that while most plant foods are not complete proteins, as long as vegans eat a variety throughout the day, they are no longer told they need to eat rice and beans in the same meal, for instance.

I'm not vegan for health benefits, and I don't think a vegan diet is better for health, but these points are often used to tell vegans why what they are doing can't be healthy or natural when it's just not true.

VeganLexi

Most vegan food is high in sodium and fat. But what do I know?

Like vegetables? :laugh:

VeganLexi

OP - Join the "Happy Herbivores" group on MFP. You will be surrounded by like-minded people. Even though you have posted a legitimate question on a "Food and Nutrition" forum, past experience of MFP shows that meat eaters love a vegan thread :laugh:

Here ya go http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

neanderthin

Most vegan food is high in sodium and fat. But what do I know?

Like vegetables? :laugh:

Actually no, whole vegetables are pretty low in sodium...... Lets not forget sugar in conjunction with the fat and sodium.......all those wonderfully healthy vegan foods that are full of trans fats, sodium, refined carbs. I could have a list of foods a mile long but that isn't necessary considering most vegans don't eat those foods, just us unhealthy meat eaters.

VeganLexi

( Never be afraid of a vegan, they wont have the strength to argue back.)

:happy:

Oh really? http://www.greatveganathletes.com/

VeganLexi

Most vegan food is high in sodium and fat. But what do I know?

Like vegetables? :laugh:

Actually no, whole vegetables are pretty low in sodium...... Lets not forget sugar in conjunction with the fat and sodium.......all those wonderfully healthy vegan foods that are full of trans fats, sodium, refined carbs. I could have a list of foods a mile long but that isn't necessary considering most vegans don't eat those foods, just us unhealthy meat eaters.

Yeah, I'd rather not rely on processed "meat substitutes" they taste like **** anyway...

FlaxMilk

Most vegan food is high in sodium and fat. But what do I know?

Like vegetables? :laugh:

Actually no, whole vegetables are pretty low in sodium...... Lets not forget sugar in conjunction with the fat and sodium.......all those wonderfully healthy vegan foods that are full of trans fats, sodium, refined carbs. I could have a list of foods a mile long but that isn't necessary considering most vegans don't eat those foods, just us unhealthy meat eaters.

Eh vegans eat them but saying that "most" vegan foods are this way is a stretch. There are tons, but that's because there are tons of food choices. Most vegan food is just plain food. You don't have to have a Whole Foods to eat a vegan lifestyle. (Whole Foods is a guilty pleasure for me, not a weekly trip.)

TL;DR. Most vegans eat their share of junk food, but most vegan food is not junk food. Please forgive my food shaming for using the slang term junk food. No actual high sugar, high calorie, high refined carbs, high trans fat foods were harmed in the making of that sentence.

daffodilsoup

To each their own...but animals are tasty...

I just can't personally not consume animal products..I'm a huge fan of cheese, eggs, and meat, and I seem to being doing just fine on my diet....

So it's not that you can't, it's that you choose not to.

PDReader

I have only done raw vegan. I find that if I am 50-75% raw and exercise 45 minutes 4-5 days a week, weight comes off! and especially inches. I don't have to usually defend the lifestyle as I save that 25% cooked/not vegan option for when I am with others and want to eat what they are eating.

Siansonea

To each their own...but animals are tasty...

I just can't personally not consume animal products..I'm a huge fan of cheese, eggs, and meat, and I seem to being doing just fine on my diet....

So it's not that you can't, it's that you choose not to.

Some of us just aren't as saintly and ethical and empathetic as you vegans. We just like to kill precious little animals and suck the marrow from their bones. Probably because we're evil. :drinker:

fouroclock

Hi there! How are those anger management classes coming along?

DatMurse

So lets say there is no nutritional yeast or anything fortified. You would have no choice but to consume animal products.

Complete protein? lol? you think that the protein in the grass is the same as the protein from the cow? You obviously dont know that those animals synthesize those proteins

If there was nothing fortified, we'd likely not have the other advances we have, so we'd be getting our B-12 the same way the animals do-from the ground. B-12 doesn't naturally occur in animals, it comes from bacteria.

I think she meant that while most plant foods are not complete proteins, as long as vegans eat a variety throughout the day, they are no longer told they need to eat rice and beans in the same meal, for instance.

I'm not vegan for health benefits, and I don't think a vegan diet is better for health, but these points are often used to tell vegans why what they are doing can't be healthy or natural when it's just not true.

You are right, b12 does come from bacteria.
Fortification is not necessary if you consume a well rounded diet.

She is saying the protein from cows is the same as protein from the grass. Something that many people do not know is that amino acids can be used to create various type of amino acids. Some that are essential for us, are non essential for other animals.

She had an all out message about her amazing research and all of her facts which are simply not true. Improper education and spreading it makes the world a dumber place.

Siansonea

Hi there! How are those anger management classes coming along?

I burned down the school, so we're on hiatus. :drinker: